Fuel feed devices for internal combustion engines

ABSTRACT

The fuel feed device includes a valve actuated by an electromagnet, which is energized over a variable fraction of each revolution of a rotating member driven by the engine. To modify the moment of the injection, means sensitive to the load on the engine alter the angular position of the rotary member with respect to the engine drive take-up means. The modifying means can be a differential gear device.

D United States Patent in] 3,661,134 Mennesson 1 1 May 9, 1972 [541 FUEL FEED DEVICES FOR INTERNAL lSfiI References Cited COMBUSTION ENGINES UNITED STATES PATENTS Inventor: Andre Lnuis Mennesson uy Casey Cl ill i t i l i i i i [9 R Seine, France l 402 408 l/l922 Firebaugh.1r... 123 139 AP l.7l8,586 6/1929 Schmidt l l 39 AP [73] Assignee: Societe lndustrielle De Brevets Et DEludes 3,430.6l6 3/1969 c'locklef a] 133/1 R S.I.B.E., Neuilly-sur-Seine France 3,548,791 l2/l970 Hong 123/32 EA Filed: July 2L Primary ExaminerLaurence M. Goodridge '2] APPL I 56379 Aunmoy(ileit, (jipple & Jacobson [,ltll Foreign Application Priority Data ABSTRACT July 22, I969 Frame N 6925000 The fuel feed device includes a valve actuated by an elec tromagnet, which is energized over a variable fraction of each {52] IIIIIIIIIIIII "123/139 Aw 123/32 AE |23H39E revolution of a rotating member driven by the engine To 123/139 modify the moment of the injection, means sensitive to the [51] lm, Ct 02 5 00 load on the engine alter the angular position of the rotary [58] Field of Search 123/32 AE, 32 EA, H9 R, I39 AP. member with respect to the engine drive takeup means The modifying means can be a differential gear device.

8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMM 91972 SHEET 1 [IF 3 INVE NTOR fine re Z0405 fife/mess FUEL FEED DEVICES FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES The present invention relates to improvements in fuel feed devices for internal combustion engines.

More particularly the invention relates to fuel feed devices for internal combustion engines, of the type which comprise, on one hand, in their intake pipe, upstream of a main throttle member actuated by the driver, an auxiliary throttle member which is opened automatically and progressively in proportion as the flow of air in said conduit increases, on the other hand, means for injecting under pressure liquid fuel into the portion of this pipe situated downstream of the main throttle member and, lastly on the other hand, a metering system sensitive to the position of the auxiliary throttle member and adapted to adjust the flow of fuel injected in such a manner that the richness of the air/fuel mixture passing into the intake pipe is substantially constant, at least for certain operational conditions of the engine, the abovesaid injection means being constituted by a source of fuel under pressure whose delivery circuit, opening into the abovesaid portion of the intake pipe, is controlled by at least one valve actuated by an electromagnet.

The invention relates more particularly to those of the devices of the type concerned which have been described in the U5. Pat. No. 3,543,739 of applicant filed Oct. 9, 1968 and of which the abovesaid metering system comprises a member driven in continuous rotary movement, by the internal combustion engine, and capable, by acting on the energizing ofthe electro-magnet, of determining over a fraction only of each of its revolutions the opening of the valve, this system being arranged so that it increases the said fraction in proportion as the opening of the auxiliary throttle member increases and vice versa.

The invention relates more particularly, but not exclusively, among these devices, to those of which the abovesaid member with continuous rotary movement comprises means adapted to emit, towards a stationary receiver, a flow of energy during a fraction of a revolution of said member the value of which varies as a function of the relative position of the rotary member and of the receiver, this receiver being arranged so that it controls the energizing circuit of the abovesaid electromagnet according as it receives or not the flow of energy, and the auxiliary throttle member being arranged to modify the relative position of the rotary member and of the receiver; the means emitting the flow of energy being possibly a luminous source and the receiver a photo-sensitive element such as a photo-electric cell or photodiode, the source and the cell being placed on respective sides of the abovesaid rotary member arranged as an opaque screen pierced with at least one window to enable illumination of the cell.

The rotary member is advantageously constituted by a flat and opaque disc perpendicular to its axis of rotation, the stationary receiver being such that it can move to or from this axis.

There of course exist at least two methods of injecting fuel into an engine, according as the injection takes place while the intake valves are open or closed. According to the operational conditions of the engine, it can be advantageous to utilize alternately one and the other of these methods to obtain, for example, better performances and better results from the point of view of atmospheric pollution.

To this end, according to the present improvements, the feed device defined above is characterized by the fact that between the member with continuous rotary movement and its power take off from the internal combustion engine are provided means, such as a differential element, to modify, in the course of operation, the angular position of the said rotary member with respect to the shaft of the engine and, consequently, the moments of the engine cycle for which injection is effected.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, two preferred embodiments of fuel feed devices according to the invention are described below purely by way ofillustrative but non'limiting examples with reference to the accompany ing drawing in which:

FIG. 1 shows, in diagrammatic elevation with portions cut out, one embodiment of a feed device constructed according to the invention whose elements are in the normal operating position;

FIG. 2 shows a section of the embodiment of FIG. I along the line llll;

FIGS. 3 and 4 show, in two different positions of operation, automatic means constructed according to the invention to cause the relative position of the rotary member or screen to vary; and

FIGS. 5 and 6, lastly, show, similarly to FIGS. 3 and 4 respectively, automatic means constructed according to a further embodiment of the invention.

According to the invention, and more particularly according to that of its methods of application, as well as according to those of its methods of production of its various parts, to which it would appear that preference should be given, in order to construct a fuel feed device for vehicle engines or the like, the procedure is as follows or in similar manner.

As regards the device as a whole, it is constituted in any suitable manner such that it comprises (FIGS. l and 2):

on one hand, in its intake pipe 1, upstream ofa main throttle member 2 actuated by the driver, an auxiliary throttle member 3 which is opened automatically and progressively in proportion as the flow of air in the pipe 1 increases, the direction of the flow being indicated by the arrow F in FIG. I (as well as in FIGS. 3 to 6);

on the other hand, means for injecting under pressure liquid fuel into the portion of the pipe 1 situated downstream of the main throttle member 2;

on the other hand lastly, a metering system sensitive to the position of the auxiliary throttle member 3 and adapted to regulate the flow of injected fuel in such a manner that the richness of the air/fuel mixture passing into the pipe 1 is substantially constant, at least for certain operational conditions of the engine.

In the embodiment shown, the auxiliary throttle member 3 is constituted by a butterfly valve keyed on an axle 4. This butterfly valve is actuated by a pneumatic device comprising a diaphragm 5 separating two chambers 6 and 7 from one another. The chamber 6 is connected through a passage 8 to a chamber 9 constituted by the section of the pipe I which is comprised between the main throttle member 2 and the valve 3. The axle 4 is rigidly fixed to a lever 10 provided, at its free end, with a pin II which co-operates with the end of a rod 12, which is connected to the diaphragm 5. A spring 13 tends constantly to close the valve 3 against the action of the suction transmitted in the chamber 6. The chamber 7 is placed at atmospheric pressure through a channel [4 beginning preferably from the air intake 15 of the pipe I.

Of course the angular position assumed at any moment inside the pipe 1 by the valve 3 corresponds to the flow of air which circulates in this pipe. The greater the flow of air, the more the valve 3 is open, a substantially constant suction (or a suction varying according to the characteristics of the spring 13) being established in the chamber 9 comprised between the two throttle members 2 and 3. The valve 3 could be replaced by equivalent throttle members; of which examples have been described in the abovesaid patent.

The abovesaid injection means are constituted by a source of fuel under pressure (not shown) of which the supply circuit, opening into the pipe I downstream of the main throttle member 2, is controlled by at least one valve 16 actuated by an electro-magnet 17.

The metering system is made to comprise a disc, flat and opaque, 18 which is borne by a shaft 19 connected to the internal combustion engine (not shown) fed by the device, so that the disc is driven in a continuous rotary movement around an axis perpendicular to its plane. The disc 18 is interposed between alight source 20 and a photo cell 21 borne by a common support 22 connected to the auxiliary throttle member 3 and it is pierced by at least one opening 23 adapted to allow the beam of light issuing from the source 20 to arrive at the cell 2]. The cell 21 is arranged to control the energizing of the electro-magnet I7 according as it is illuminated or not and the assembly is such that the electro-magnet is energized over a fraction of each of the revolutions of the disc 18 which varies in the same sense as the degree of opening of the throttle member 3.

The luminous source 20 can be constituted by a lamp which is adapted to be supplied by a battery 24 as soon as the ignition switch 25 of the engine is closed and which is arranged in a hollow boss 26 pierced by a hole. This hole is oriented so as to direct a luminous beam onto the cell 21, through a hole passing through a hollow boss 27 where the said cell is housed.

In the embodiment shown, the bosses 26 and 27 are made to be borne by the ends of the U-shaped support 22 which strad dles the disc 18 so that the source 20 of the cell 2] occur on respective sides of the disc and which is rigidly fixed to the axle 4, the latter being parallel to the shaft 19 as well as to the luminous beam received by the cell 21.

To utilize the currents in the cell 21, there is inserted between the latter and the electro-magnet 17, on one hand, an amplifying relay 28 and if necessary, on the other hand, an intensity limiter 29.

When the internal combustion engine possesses several cylinders each supplied by a valve 16 actuated by an individual electro-magnet I7, there is provided a distributor 30 synchronized with the disc 18 to send successively the intermittent energizing current into the different electro-magnets, the disc possessing as many windows 23 as there are cylinders to be supplied. These windows are distributed regularly around the shaft 19 and each has a shape such that the fraction of a revolution during which it enables the cell 21 normally to be illuminated increases in proportion as the throttle member 3 is opened, that is to say (in the embodiment shown) in proportion as the bosses 26,27 approach the shaft I9.

The feed device which has just been described has the following operation.

In proportion as the flow of air into the pipe 1 increases, the throttle member 3 is opened thereby driving the support 22 in the direction which makes the bosses 26 and 27 approach the shaft I9. Each of the positions of these bosses corresponds to a different radius ofthe disc 18.

As the shape of each window 23 has been determined so that the fraction ofa revolution during which it allows the luminous ray 20 to pass to the cell 2I (creation of a current in the conductor 31), increases in proportion as the latter elements approach the shaft I9, it is ensured that the flow of fuel delivered by each injection valve 16 varies in the same sense as the flow of air in the pipe 1.

Having recalled this and according to the present improvements, between the rotary member or disc I8 and the shaft 33 serving as drive take-up means on the internal combustion engine, there are arranged means, such as a differential element, to modify, in the course of operation, the angular position of the said member [8 with respect to the shaft of the engine and, consequently, the moments of the engine cycle during which injection is effected.

To constitute the abovesaid differential element and as shown in FIG. 2, there is mounted on the shaft I9 a gear 32, preferably conical. The drive shaft 33, actuated by the engine, has at its end a gear 34 identical with the preceding one. These two gears mesh with at least one same conical intermediate gear 35, whose shaft 36 is movable in a plane perpendicular to the common axis of the two other gears 32 and 34. The shaft 36 is connected to a rod 37 by ajoint 38. The three gears 32, 34 and are housed in a casing 39 traversed, on one hand, by the shafts l9 and 33 around the common axis X-X of which it can turn freely and, on the other hand, by the shaft 36 which is fixed with respect to the casing.

It is seen that the rotation of the casing 39 around the axis X-X, under the action of rod 37, causes a modification of the angular position of the shaft 19 and of the disc 18 with respect to the shaft 33 and to the engine shaft.

The position of the rod 37 is made dependent on the load of the engine.

In the first embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, this load is evaluated by the position of the main throttle member 2. To this end, the rod 37 is connected to a lever 40 rigidly mounted on the axle of the main throttle member 2.

In the second embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the load is measured by the suction existing in the portion of the pipe I situated downstream of the main throttle member 2. To this end, the rod 37 is connected to a diaphragm 4| closing a capsule 42, itself connected through a tube 44 to the above-indicated portion of the intake pipe I. The diaphragm 41 is subjected to the opposing forces of a spring 43 and of the suction existing in the intake pipe I and transmitted through the tube 44.

As a result of which, there is obtained a device whose operation is as follows.

In the case of the first embodiment, on the opening of the throttle member 2 (from the position of FIG. 3 to that of FIG. 4), the shaft 36 is displaced towards the left in these two Figures (or towards the rear of FIG. 2) by means of the rod 37 and of the lever 40. Similarly, in the case of the second embodiment, on the opening of the throttle member 2 (from the position of FIG. 5 to that of FIG. 6), the suction in the portion of the pipe 1 situated downstream of the throttle member 2 diminishes and the spring 43 pushes the axle 36, towards the left of these two latter Figures, up to the position of FIG. 6.

Thus, in the two embodiments shown, there is obtained, on the opening of the main throttle member 2, an angular displacement between the shaft 33 and the shaft I9.

Now, on one hand, the angular position of the shaft 33 driven by the engine is characteristic of the state of the intake valve open or closed and, on the other hand, the angular position of the shaft I9 which bears the disc 18 is characteristic of the moment when the injection of fuel is effected.

There is hence obtained a simple device which produces automatically an angular displacement between the shafts 33 and I9 and enables the injection of fuel while the intake valves are open or while they are closed, according to the load condition of the engine.

As is self-evident, and as results already besides from the preceding description, the invention is in no way limited to those of its methods of application, nor to those of its methods of production of its various parts, which have been more par ticularly considered; it embraces, on the contrary, all variations.

I claim:

1. Fuel feed device, for an internal combustion engine, hav ing at least one intake valve, comprising, in its intake pipe, up stream of a main throttle member actuated by the driver, an auxiliary throttle member which is opened automatically and progressively in proportion as the air flow increases in the said pipe, means for injecting liquid fuel under pressure into the portion of said pipe situated downstream of the main throttle member and upstream of said intake valve, a metering system sensitive to the position of the auxiliary throttle member and adapted to adjust the flow of fuel injected in such a way that the richness of the air/fuel mixture passing into the intake pipe is substantially constant, at least for certain operational conditions of the engine, said injection means being constituted by a source of fuel under pressure whose delivery circuit, opening into said portion of the intake pipe, is controlled by at least one valve actuated by an electro-magnet, the metering system comprising a member driven in continuous rotation by the internal combustion engine, and capable, by acting on the ener gization of the electro-magnet, of determining over a fraction only of each of its revolutions the opening of the valve, said system being arranged so that it increases said fraction in proportion as the opening of the auxiliary throttle member increases and vice versa, and modifying means sensitive to the load on the engine provided between the member in continuous rotary movement and its drive take-up on the engine to modify, in the course of operation, the angular position of said rotary member with respect to the shaft of the engine so that according to the load condition of the engine injection is efnus fected either during an intake period or during a period other than an intake period.

2. Feed device according to claim 1, wherein the modifying means comprise a differential element.

3. Feed device according to claim 1, said load being evaluated by the position of the main throttle member.

4. Feed device according to claim 2, said load being evaluated by the position of the main throttle member.

5. Feed device according to claim 1, said load being evaluated by the suction existing in the intake pipe downstream of its main throttle member.

6. Feed device according to claim 2. said load being evaluated by the suction existing in the intake pipe downstream of its main throttle member.

7. Feed device according to claim 2, wherein the differential element comprises two conical gears aligned and borne respectively by a motor drive shaft and by the shaft of the rotary member, said two gears being both in mesh with a third gear pivoted in a differential casing. and wherein the modifying means act on the casing so as to modify its angular position around the common axis of the two said shafts.

8. Feed device according to claim 3. wherein the differential element comprises two conical gears aligned and borne respectively by a motor drive shaft and by the shaft of the rotary member, said two gears being both in mesh with a third gear pivoted in a difi'erential casing, and wherein the modifying means act on the casing so as to modify its angular position around the common axis of the two said shafts.

me l-um 

1. Fuel feed device, for an internal combustion engine, having at least one intake valve, comprising, in its intake pipe, upstream of a main throttle member actuated by the driver, an auxiliary throttle member which is opened automatically and progressively in proportion as the air flow increases in the said pipe, means for injecting liquid fuel under pressure into the portion of said pipe situated downstream of the main throttle member and upstream of said intake valve, a metering system sensitive to the position of the auxiliary throttle member and adapted to adjust the flow of fuel injected in such a way that the richness of the air/fuel mixture passing into the intake pipe is substantially constant, at least for certain operational conditions of the engine, said injection means being constituted by a source of fuel under pressure whose delivery circuit, opening into said portion of the intake pipe, is controlled by at least one valve actuated by an electro-magnet, the metering system comprising a member driven in continuous rotation by the internal combustion engine, and capable, by acting on the energization of the electro-magnet, of determining over a fraction only of each of its revolutions the opening of the valve, said system being arranged so that it increases said fraction in proportion as the opening of the auxiliary throttle member increases and vice versa, and modifying means sensitive to the load on the engine provided between the member in continuous rotary movement and its drive take-up on the engine to modify, in the course of operation, the angular position of said rotary member with respect to the shaft of the engine so that according to the load condition of the engine injection is effected either during an intake period or during a period other than an intake period.
 2. Feed device according to claim 1, wherein the modifying means comprise a differential element.
 3. Feed device according to claim 1, said load being evaluated by the position of the main throttle member.
 4. Feed device according to claim 2, said load being evaluated by the position of the main throttle member.
 5. Feed device according to claim 1, said load being evaluated by the suction existing in the intake pipe downstream of its main throttle member.
 6. Feed device according to claim 2, said load being evaluated by the suction existing in the intake pipe downstream of its main throttle member.
 7. Feed device according to claim 2, wherein the differential element comprises two conical gears aligned and borne respectively by a motor drive shaft and by the shaft of the rotary member, said two gears being both in mesh with a third gear pivoted in a differential casing, and wherein the modifying means act on the casing so as to modify its angular position around the common axis of the two said shafts.
 8. Feed device according to claim 3, wherein the differential element comprises two conical gears aligned and borne respectively by a motor drive shaft and by the shaft of the rotary member, said two gears being both in mesh with a third gear pivoted in a differential casing, and wherein the modifying means act on the casing so as to modify its angular position around the common axis of the two said shafts. 